COVID-19 Safety During Halloween

Halloween is a time of transformation, but this year, health experts are urging the public to change more than their outfit. To help control the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to help change high-risk behaviors. The good news? You don’t have to lose the costume.

Keep Doing What You’re Doing

If you have been socially distancing, practicing hand hygiene and wearing a mask in public, keep it up on Halloween, with one exception: your mask.

A costume mask doesn’t provide the same protection as a cloth or surgical mask. Doubling up won’t work, either. The CDC says it’s not safe to layer costume and protective masks.

Pro Tip: Skip the costume mask altogether, and celebrate with a festive cloth mask. From ghouls and ghosts to skulls and bones, there are so many options on the market. And if you’re crafty, decorate your own Halloween masks for some family fun!

Door-to-Door or Trunk-or-Treat?

Unfortunately, neither is a good idea this season. The CDC raised a red flag on traditional trick-or-treating activities, placing these celebrations in its high-risk category.

“Traditional trick-or-treating simply doesn’t allow for proper social distancing,” said Rachael Elmore, BSN, RN, Infection Prevention nurse at North Kansas City Hospital. “Halloween is a highly social holiday that promotes contact with people outside of your household. What’s more, gracious givers often let children reach into a communal bowl to select their own candy. Both are no-no’s in light of the pandemic.”

Candy distribution isn’t entirely off the table. Individually wrapped goodie bags set up for grab-and-go pick-up is a moderate-risk activity, according to the CDC. Wash your hands with soap and water before putting the bags together. In addition to candy, consider items that can be sanitized at home.

Get Creative With COVID-Friendly Activities

Although it may seem like most Halloween festivities are off the table this year, there is plenty of room for creativity. Haunted forests, outside costume parades and even outdoor family movie nights have the thumbs up from health experts because they are low- to moderate-risk activities.

The Bottom Line

COVID-19 is still a real threat. This year, take extra precautions to make Halloween a festive, less scary time of the year.